Yes - CLOSE TO THE EDGE 1972 UK LP 1st Press A1 / B2 2-3 Plays Ever MINT AUDIO

	£		144
	$		191

YES - CLOSE TO THE EDGE

MAGNIFICENT 2-3 PLAY MINT MINUS AUDIO

CORRECT FULLY TEXTURED FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE

(INSIDE AND OUTSIDE)

NEAR MINT SLEEVE

SUPERB A1.B2 FIRST PRESS

Final Upgrade Vinyl

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIC K50012
• MATRIX: K50012 A1 / B2

THE ULTRA RARE CLOSE TO THE EDGE FIRST PRESS WITH JUST ONE DIGIT HIGHER ON THE SIDE B MATRIX

A WORD OR TWO ABOUT A GENUINE FIRST PRESS OF THIS ALBUM

FIRSTLY THE MATRIX NUMBERS MUST BE MACHINE STAMPED INTO THE DEAD WAX. SECONDLY THE LABEL DOES NOT HAVE THE WARNER 'W' AT 3 O'CLOCK (THEY ARE ALSO VERY HARD TO READ) THE FIRST PRESSES ALWAYS HAD MATRIX NUMBERS THAT WERE ALMOST INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE

THIRD THE SLEEVE MUST BE TEXTURED HEAVILY BOTH ON THE OUTSIDE AND THE INSIDE (SOME ARE ONLY TEXTURED ON THE OUTSIDE

 TO LISTEN TO THE RECORD, PLEASE PRESS PLAY ON THE PLAYER, AND WAIT FOR IT TO LOAD. IT CAN TAKE UP TO A MINUTE. THE NEW SOFTWARE IS SLOWER THAN THE OLDER ONE. BY THE TIME YOU HAVE READ THROUGH THE DESCRIPTION IT SHOULD START TO PLAY

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE TWO ORANGE AND GREEN LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE IMMACULATE AND UNWORN. THE FIRST PRESS HAS A DARKER ORANGE COLOUR THAN LATER PRESSES, IN FACT IT'S ALMOST BRICK RED.

THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS PRISTINE UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THE WHITE BAND RUNNING THROUGH THE CENTRE OF THE LABEL IS ALSO PURE WHITE AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE

THERE ARE 2-3 SMALL SPIDER LINES ON SIDE TWO AND JUST A COUPLE ON SIDE ONE

ALSO THE LABEL IS THE FIRST ISSUE ATLANTIC LABEL WITHOUT THE WARNER 'W' AT THREE O'CLOCK

THE VINYL

THIS VINYL GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR AND IN DAYLIGHT LOOKS TOTALLY FLAWLESS. AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES. A STUNNING HEAVYWEIGHT DISC

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH, SOMETHING I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT THING TO STATE IS THAT IT PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION WHATSOEVER, MEANING THAT THE RECORD WAS PLAYED WITH A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS. IN ADDITION THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT, THERE IS DEFINITELY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST PRESSES AND ALL THE REST. THIS IS BY FAR A CLEARER, LOUDER CUT. EVERY NOTE BEING HEARD TO PERFECTION

THERE IS NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE AT ANY POINT AND NO LOUD CLICKS EITHER

THERE IS SOME VERY LIGHT AND BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND HEARD DURING THE MORE SILENT PASSAGES

IN ADDITION THERE ARE A FEW RANDOM TINY LITTLE DUST POPS/ TICS

THIS PLAYTHROUGH GRADES BETWEEN EXCELLENT PLUS AND NEAR MINT MINUS

ANYWAY PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, LISTEN TO IT FOR YOURSELF AND BE THE JUDGE

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED AND TEXTURED GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH THE ROGER DEAN ARTWORK. THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION. THE FACT THAT IT IS UN-LAMINATED AND TEXTURED USUALLY ASSURES  SEVERE COLOUR LOSS TO THE DELICATE GREEN SURFACE.

THIS COPY HOWEVER IS IN SUBLIME CONDITION WITH VERY FEW MINOR BLEMISHES

THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND TOTALLY UN-CREASED. THE DELICATE GREEN SURFACE HAS RETAINED VIRTUALLY EVERY BIT OF THE ORIGINAL SHADES, WITH JUST THE SMALLEST SHADOW OF GREYING DOWN THE LEFT EDGE NEAR THE SPINE. THE TOP LEFT AND BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER TIP ENDS HAVE A SPECK OF RUB, BUT LIKE THE OTHER TWO ARE STILL SHARP AND SQUARE

INCREDIBLY THERE ARE NO LINES NEAR THE SPINE WHICH IS MOST UNCOMMON, NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.

THERE IS NO RING WEAR WHATSOEVER ON ANY PART OF THE SLEEVE

THE TOP EDGE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. BOTH FRONT AND REAR EDGES HAVE PRISTINE DEEP GREEN COLOURS FULLY RUNNING FROM CORNER TO CORNER, AND ONLY THE VERY TIP END OF THEREAR RIGHT HAS A SPECK OF RUB. THE BOTTOM EDGE IS SIMILAR WITH THE FRONT RIGHT TIP HAVING A PIN PRICK OF RUB AND A COUPLE OF TINY WHITE PIN PRICKS ARE ALSO SEEN ELSEWHERE

THE SPINE ITSELF IS FLAT AND UNSQUASHED, WITH TWO SMALL SCUFFS TO THE SURFACE ON THE TOP LEADING EDGE, AND ANOTHER SPECK OF RUB ON THE TOP TIP END

THE OPENING EDGE STILL RAZOR SHARP

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN EXACTLY THE SAME FABULOUS CONDITION THAT THE FRONT IS IN. NO LOSS OF COLOUR OTHER THAN A TINY SHADOW OF GREYING ON THE TOP AND RIGHT EDGES

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE MINT CONDITION INTERIOR PAIR OF TEXTURED SURFACES.

FINALLY THE FRAGILE GREEN INNER SLEEVE WHICH HISTORICALLY SPLITS ALONG THE SEAMS, IS IN UNSPLIT CONDITION!!! THERE ARE NO SPLITS TO ANY OF THE THREE SEAMS. THE OPENING EDGE REMAINS UNFRAYED . A VERY LIGHT CREASE LINE IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER

THE SLEEVE GRADES NEAR MINT EASILY

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PLAYTHROUGH GRADING AT THE END OF THE DESCRIPTION IS INCORRECT: IT SHOULD READ THAT THE GRADE FOR THE AUDIO IS MINT!!!